Rifle Retainer

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for retaining a rifle by its sling on a person. An upper anchorage pins the sling to a backpack harness strap, and a lower anchorage pins the rifle stock to a strap near the waist of the user. The upper anchorage provides a hook preventing the sling from slipping off the shoulder of the user. The lower anchorage provides a holster encircling the rifle stock and clamping to a harness strap near the waist.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/538,552, filed Oct. 7, 2015.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to securing a rifle on an upright person by engaging a sling of the rifle at two points, one at the shoulder and one near the waist.

BACKGROUND

Hunters and other users of rifles frequently walk along rough terrain while hunting or traveling through natural territory. The usual method of supporting a rifle by its sling, with the sling suspended from the shoulder, is an unreliable way of carrying the rifle, since the rifle is easily dislodged should the person stumble or fall.

There exists a need for a way of securing a rifle supported by its sling for people traversing rough or uneven terrain.

SUMMARY

The disclosed concepts address the above stated situation by providing retaining apparatus reliably securing the rifle by its sling, while still enabling quick deployment of the rifle. To this end, novel retaining apparatus includes an upper anchorage pinning the sling to a backpack harness strap, and a lower anchorage pinning the rifle stock to a strap near the waist of the user. The upper anchorage provides a hook preventing the sling from slipping off the shoulder of the user. The lower anchorage provides a holster encircling the rifle stock and clamping to a harness strap near the waist.

The rifle is readily released for use from the upper and lower anchorages.

It is an object to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other objects will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the disclosed concepts will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective partial view of a person standing, with a rifle secured by the novel apparatus, according to at least one aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective detail view of an upper anchorage device used in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective detail view of a lower anchorage device used in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, but shows the lower anchorage device partially disassembled to enable engagement or release of the rifle;

FIG. 5 is a perspective detail view taken from an opposite direction as FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective detail view similar to FIG. 5, but showing opening of a strap engagement feature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first to FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the disclosure, there is shown apparatus 100 for securing a rifle 2 supported by a sling 4 of rifle 2 on a user 6 wearing a harness 8 comprising straps 10. Harness 8 may be that of a backpack (not shown in its entirety) for example. The apparatus 100 may comprise an upper anchorage 102 securing sling 4 at a shoulder strap 10A (FIG. 2) of harness 8 at a shoulder 12 of user 6. Referring principally to FIG. 2, upper anchorage 102 may comprise a foldable loop 104 bearing a fastener 106, such as hook and loop fastener, snaps, or still others. Foldable loop 104 is configured to encircle shoulder strap 10A of harness 8, and to folded upon itself as shown in FIG. 2 and retained folded by fastener 106. Upper anchorage 102 may also comprise a strap hook 108 (FIG. 2) open towards a neck 14 of user 6 when foldable loop 104 encircles shoulder strap 10A. Orientation of strap hook 108 assures that when the user is in the standing position illustrated in FIG. 1, sling 4 will not slip from shoulder 12 of user 6.

With sling 4 thus retained at the upper position at shoulder 12 of user 6, a lower anchorage 110 clamps or pins a stock 14 of rifle 2 near a waist 16 of user 6. Lower anchorage 110 advantageously prevents rifle 2 from being inclined to the point that it could be aimed at a person (not shown) walking behind user 6.

It should be noted at this point that orientational terms such as upper and lower refer to the subject drawing as viewed by an observer. The drawing figures depict their subject matter in orientations of normal use, which could obviously change with changes in body posture and position. Therefore, orientational terms must be understood to provide semantic basis for purposes of description only, and do not imply that their subject matter can be used only in one position.

Also referring to FIGS. 3-6, lower anchorage 110 grasps rifle 2 at stock 14 (FIG. 1), and comprises a holster 112 comprising a lateral wall 114 configured to define a pocket 116 partially encircling stock 14 of rifle 2. Lateral wall 114 includes an open portion 118 and a pocket axis 120 passing through pocket 116 parallel to lateral wall 114. Open portion 118 of lateral wall 114 is configured to enable stock 14 (FIG. 1) to be moved into and withdrawn from pocket 116 when a longitudinal axis 18 of rifle 3 is parallel to pocket axis 120.

A closure 122 releasably secures stock 14 of rifle 2 in pocket 116. A retainer 124 (see FIG. 5) is configured to engage a waist strap 10B (FIG. 1) of harness 8. Closure 122 of holster 112 may comprise a flexible strap 128 made for example from a woven fabric. Holster 112 may comprise a holster hook 126 (FIGS. 3 and 4). Flexible strap 128 may comprise a strap loop 130 configured to engage and be releasably retained by holster hook 126. Strap loop 130 may be elastic, so that it may more readily stretch to slip over and be removed from holster hook 126. Strap loop 130 may include a pull tab 132 (FIGS. 3, 4, 5) projecting from strap loop 130 to facilitate drawing flexible strap 128 past and into engagement with holster hook 126.

Strap hook 108 of upper anchorage 102 is rigid. That is, in use, strap hook 108 is sufficiently rigid as to oppose deflection, compressing, spreading open, etc. Strap hook 108 may be fabricated from one eighth inch thick metals such as steel, aluminum, and brass, or alternatively, hard plastic. Foldable loop 104 of upper anchorage 102 is flexible. Foldable loop 104 may be fabricated from fabric, leather, flexible plastics, stranded metal, and like materials.

Lateral wall 114 of holster 112 may be rigid, and may be fabricated from one eighth inch thick metals such as steel, aluminum, and brass, or alternatively, hard plastic. Lateral wall 114 of holster 112 may include an outer layer of yielding material. The yielding material may comprises a fabric, leather, and other materials which would avoid abrading rifle 2.

Referring specifically to FIG. 6, apparatus 100 may further comprise an adjustment feature configured to enable flexible strap 128 to be drawn tight against stock 14 of rifle 2 when stock 14 is in holster 112. This is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The adjustment feature may comprise a cinch 134 maintaining tightness of flexible strap 128 after flexible strap 128 has been drawn tight against stock 14 of rifle 2.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, retainer 124 of lower anchorage 110 may comprise a flap 136 configured to close over and retain waist strap 10B of harness 8 proximate waist 16 of user 6 (see FIG. 1). Cinch 134 of lower anchorage 110 may be located along flexible strap 128 of lower anchorage 110 such that cinch 134 is covered by flap 136. In an implementation of apparatus 100 illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, snaps 138 engage complementing snaps 140 in a lower flap 142. Flap 136 and lower flap 142 may be of leather, and may be stitched to a fabric or leather covering of holster 112.

In use, upper anchorage 102 is coupled to shoulder strap 10A of harness 8, with strap hook 108 opening towards neck 15 of user 6. Sling 4 of rifle 2 is then placed onto upper anchorage 102 such that strap hook 108 prevents sling 4 from sliding from shoulder 12 (to the left, as shown in FIG. 1).

After lower anchorage 110 has engaged waist strap 10B by closing flap 136 over lower flap 142 (see FIG. 6), snaps 138 are pressed into engagement with complementing snaps 140 of lower flap 142. FIG. 5 depicts lower anchorage 110 in the closed condition after snaps 138 and complementing snaps 140 are mutually affixed. With waist strap 10B entrapped between flap 136 and lower flap 142, stock 14 may be placed in pocket 116, and flexible strap 128 may be drawn tightly over stock 14. FIG. 4 shows flexible strap 128 prior to engagement with holster hook 126. FIG. 3 shows flexible strap 128 secured to holster hook 126. Rifle 2 will then be pinned at two points to user 6, using harness 8. While rifle 2 will still have some mobility relative to user 6, rifle 2 is now securely retained on the person of user 6 for purposes of walking, hiking, light climbing, and the like.

While the disclosed concepts have been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred implementation, it is to be understood that the disclosed concepts are not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but are intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible. 

I claim:
 1. Apparatus for securing a rifle supported by a sling of the rifle on a user wearing a harness comprising straps, the apparatus comprising: an upper anchorage securing the sling at a shoulder of the user, the upper anchorage comprising: a foldable loop bearing a fastener, the foldable loop configured to encircle a shoulder strap of the harness, and a strap hook open towards a neck of the user when the foldable loop encircles the shoulder strap; and a lower anchorage for grasping the rifle at a stock of the rifle, the lower anchorage comprising: a holster comprising a lateral wall configured to define a pocket partially encircling the stock of the rifle, the lateral wall including an open portion and a pocket axis passing through the pocket parallel to the lateral wall, wherein the open portion of the lateral wall is configured to enable the stock to be moved into and withdrawn from the pocket when a longitudinal axis of the rifle is parallel to the pocket axis, a closure releasably securing the stock of the rifle in the pocket, and a retainer configured to engage a strap of the harness.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the strap hook of the upper anchorage is rigid and the foldable loop of the upper anchorage is flexible.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lateral wall of the holster is rigid.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the lateral wall of the holster includes an outer layer of yielding material.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the yielding material comprises a fabric.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the yielding material comprises leather.
 7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the closure of the holster comprises a flexible strap.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the holster comprises a holster hook, and the flexible strap comprises a strap loop configured to engage and be releasably retained by the holster hook.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the strap loop is elastic.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a pull tab projecting from the strap loop.
 11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an adjustment feature configured to enable the flexible strap to be drawn tight against the stock of the rifle when the stock is in the holster.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the adjustment feature comprises a cinch maintaining tightness of the flexible strap after the flexible strap has been drawn tight against the stock of the rifle.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the retainer of the lower anchorage comprises a flap configured to close over and retain a strap of the harness.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the retainer of the lower anchorage comprises a flap configured to close over and retain a strap of the harness, and the cinch of the lower anchorage is located along the flexible strap of the lower anchorage such that the cinch is covered by the flap. 